Coated abrasive article and method of making the same

Abstract

A coated abrasive article comprises a backing having first and second opposed major surfaces, a make layer disposed on at least a portion of the first major surface and bonding abrasive particles to the backing, a size layer overlaid on at least a portion of the make layer and the abrasive particles, and a supersize layer disposed on the size layer. The supersize layer comprises an at least partially cured water-based epoxy resin and an organic polymeric rheology modifier, and wherein the amount of the at least partially cured epoxy resin comprises from 75 to 99.99 weight percent of the combined weight of the at least partially cured epoxy resin and the organic polymeric rheology modifier. A method of making the coated abrasive article is also disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of making a coated abrasive article, the method comprising:
 providing a backing having first and second opposed major surfaces, wherein a make layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first major surface and bonds abrasive particles to the backing, and further wherein a size layer is disposed over at least a portion of the make layer and the abrasive particles; and   coating a supersize layer precursor over at least a portion of the size layer and at least partially curing the supersize layer precursor to provide a supersize layer,   wherein the supersize layer precursor comprises a water-based epoxy resin and an organic polymeric rheology modifier, wherein the organic polymeric rheology modifier comprises an alkali-swellable/soluble polymer, and, wherein on a solids basis, the amount of the water-based epoxy resin comprises from 75 to 99.99 weight percent of the combined weight of the water-based epoxy resin and the organic polymeric rheology modifier.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least partially curing the supersize layer precursor occurs in a festoon oven. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the supersize layer precursor has a basis weight of 5 to 1100 grams per square meter. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the organic polymeric rheology modifier is selected from the group consisting of alkali-swellable/soluble acrylic polymers, hydrophobically-modified alkali-swellable/soluble acrylic polymers, hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane polymers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein, on a solids basis, the amount of the water-based epoxy resin comprises from 85 to 99.99 weight percent of the combined weight of the water-based epoxy resin and the organic polymeric rheology modifier. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise shaped abrasive particles. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the shaped abrasive particles comprise precisely-shaped abrasive particles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the shaped abrasive particles comprise precisely-shaped three-sided platelets. 
     
     
         9 . A coated abrasive article comprising:
 a backing having first and second opposed major surfaces,   a make layer disposed on at least a portion of the first major surface and bonding abrasive particles to the backing;   a size layer overlaid on at least a portion of the make layer and the abrasive particles; and   a supersize layer disposed on the size layer,   wherein the supersize layer comprises an at least partially cured epoxy resin and an organic polymeric rheology modifier, and wherein the amount of the at least partially cured epoxy resin comprises from 75 to 99.99 weight percent of the combined weight of the at least partially cured epoxy resin and the organic polymeric rheology modifier.   
     
     
         10 . The coated abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein the organic polymeric rheology modifier is selected from the group consisting of alkali-swellable/soluble acrylic polymers, hydrophobically-modified alkali-swellable/soluble acrylic polymers, hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane polymers, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The coated abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein the amount of the at least partially epoxy resin comprises from 85 to 99.99 weight percent of the combined weight of the at least partially cured epoxy resin and the organic polymeric rheology modifier. 
     
     
         12 . The coated abrasive article of  claim 9 , wherein the abrasive particles comprise shaped abrasive particles. 
     
     
         13 . The coated abrasive article of  claim 12 , wherein the shaped abrasive particles comprise precisely-shaped abrasive particles. 
     
     
         14 . The coated abrasive article of  claim 12 , wherein the shaped abrasive particles comprise precisely-shaped three-sided platelets.